Wednesday, December 21, 2011

1.6 million US children are homeless now - Merry Christmas America

Nickelsville's Christmas tree - 12/16/11

With all good wishes for a Merry Christmas and

a Happy new Year to our friends in Nickelsville!

While the mainstream media informs us that CEOs of our banks will unwrap the biggest ever (did I say 'ever'? Yes, EVER) bonuses this year for Christmas, I found this, just published gem on the webpage of The National Center on Family Homelessness:

America's Youngest Outcasts 2010

A new report by The National Center on Family Homelessness finds that more than 1.6 million children - or one in 45 children - are homeless annually in America. This represents an increase of 38% during the years impacted by the economic recession. The 124-page report, America's Youngest Outcasts 2010, ranks the 50 states from best (1) to worst (50), and offers specific policy solutions. Read the full report and find out where your state ranks. Media inquiries.

Nickelsville, 12/16/11 - general view

Six of those children, aged from 1 y.o. to 16 y.o. live in Nickelsville now; sure they have extended family of 120+ tent city members who dot on them and take turns providing care for them, which is way better that untold numbers of other homeless children who will spend their Christmas in cars, shelters, friends' couches or maybe nowhere close to warmth and light; but is this kind of childhood we meant for our youngsters? One in 45 children means roughly one child in every classroom in America!

T.J. and her son, Adam - Nickelsville, 12/16/11

Last Friday Lynnda packed her car full of wood for Nickelsville, bags of warm clothes she collected among her neighbors, bags of fresh fruit (none of her signature cookies, because we read in 'Real Change' paper that Nickelsville is currently overloaded with surplus holiday pastry donations from bakeries and restaurants, and that they wish for simple fresh fruit) and off we went to see our friends, who still live outside of the city, on Marginal Way (address and map on the right hand corner of the blog), where they moved to in May of this year. Of course we brought a bucket of soup, and of course it was West African Peanut soup, which became my signature by now...

The camp's original entrance became a donation gate - Nickelsville 12/16/11

The gate of Nickelsville has been moved to the opposite side of the encampment, much closer to the bus. The original entrance serves as donation entrance only (has parking space). We found mainly new faces in Nickelsville, and what appeared as an extended area of tents, way past the line where it ended when we visited in September; but we were told that the current number of residents is still the same: about 120 (including six children), and that some of the tents are temporarily empty.

The camp's original (and resident from the Day 1) historian of the place, Richard, did leave as planned, and hopefully is enjoying holiday cheers with his family in Arkansas - hand-wave to Richard in Arcansas... Lynnda was worried about Jarvis - his phone has been disconnected for a while and he no longer calls her, either - we learned that he reunited with his wife and kids in California, so hopefully he and his family also enjoy a nice holiday break now - hi Jarvis in California...

Greg enjoying a quiet moment by the fire - Nickelsville, 12/16/11

Tracy and Mike are still in Nickelsville, and so is Nate (we didn't see him), Jerry, Greg and T.J. We run into T,J, and she was beaming - introduced us to her just recently found son, Adam, who came to pick his mother up and drive with her to see their family in Bellingham - hope Adam's truck is now safely parked there and there is lots of family joy to share.

Nickelsville has a beautiful Christmas tree and there was a party to dress it - lots of lovely hand made decorations and even some gifts under the tree already; Lynnda and I wondered who has a job of moving them indoors when it rains.

Tracy's sic-pawed cat, Socks, is all grown up and very cuddly. Nickelsville, 12/16/11

Nickelsville has large number of military vets, maybe next time I'll find a study on how America treats them - judging from number of them being homeless, not too kindly.

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HAPPY NEW HOME NICKELSVILLE!

We, the people of Nickelsville will be moving on May 15th 2011, and would invite and welcome all the supporters that can come help us with our move.

We need help loading pallets, tents, bicycles, cooking grills, and people's personal items onto trucks. We mainly need people to stand with us, united together courage and strenght, staying strong with people of Nickelsville.

Our plans must be flexible. It is CRUCIAL you contact us now, so we now who to alert to changes, and who can help. Please contact our staff today and tells them him you will help. Our phone is (206) 450-9136. The email is scott@nickelsvilleseattle.org.

ATTENTION: BARBECUE PROPANE GRILLS NEDDED - after the move on 5/15/11 there'll be no kitchen again, so if you have extra BBQ grill or are about to get a new one, consider donating your old/extra one to Nickelsville. aleks

• You can donate CASH to pay for telephone, garbage, etc; you can mail your (tax-deductible) donation to this address:

Nickelsville P.O Box 2548

Seattle, WA 98111-2548

flowers in front of someone's home

Why this blog?

February 2nd, 2009

i started to cook soup for nickelsville, a tent city for the homeless in seattle, around october 2008. i wanted to learn about the lives of the people there, so i've been coming twice a week to find a volunteer to help me cook. we cook in the nearby lutheran church, put the soup into plastic food bucket and bring it back to the camp.

some of the things i learned surprised me quite a bit: many residents have a job they go to, there a quite a few couples there, two kids were living there before the december snow-storm (went to shelter since), the rules to stay there are pretty harsh to follow, there are several kitten residents. today i saw a tent adorned with spring pansies - it gave me a pause.

this blog has been created for the sole purpose of partially documenting nicklelsville's university-district period: october 08 through march 09.

links:

TO: mayor Nickels & governor Gregoire

DATE: 3/22/2009, Seattle, WA

dear Mayor Nickels and Governor Gregoire,

the tent cities are spreading all across america, and finally even making news in corporate media (cnn recently showed a tent city in sacramento and even Ophra had a show about it). many people in tent cities are victims of the poor economy. they never intended to become homeless but were forced out from their homes and cars into the street. it is very disturbing and sad.

seattle has several tent cities. i urge you to become informed about the topic and bring attention and relief to people in distress who live in them.

i have been involved in nickelsville during its stay in university district october 08 through beginning of march 09. i cooked soup for them on average twice a week. i learned many people staying there had a job to go every day, and some seemed to be in need of social and medical services.

overall - no-one should be without a roof over the head in the richest country in the world (except maybe AIG ceos, who took all the taxpayers money and are now running the show).

i kept a blog while involved in nickelsville, to document what i saw there. please, look; it is here (link to this blog).

i very much hope you fulfill your obligation to serve the people who elected you to be their representative, including people in tent cities!